We live in a world controlled by lies. Most are commercial. Many are political. However I believe the most damaging are the religious lies.
The worst of all the religious lies is: The Bible is the Word of God.
The Bible rules the western world whether we like it or not. There are over 4 billion bibles in the world. It's the world's most printed book and greatest literary masterpiece. As such sadly.... It is the most misused book.
I never knew this before I was 30.
Indeed I was raised in a Jehovah Witness home. Thus my world-view was that Jehovah was the true God and Jesus, his son, was reigning and would kill every non-Jehovah Witness at any momemt! Thus I lived in fear of not being good enough to meet Jesus standards.
Actually my world-view was full of huge holes but the ironic thing was I thought I was a scientific person.
Come 2009. In October a workmate, who knew I was a Jehovah Witness, asked this question: "Does Cain and Abel come before or after Jesus?" A laughable question, however I quickly showed him the story was in chapter 4 of the bible and Jesus was WAY down the line. It was then I realized I had never actually read this book (The Bible) cover to cover. Oh sure I probably knew all the verses from the Kingdom Hall for 30+ years but I had never read it. *
So I decided to. However by Exodus I had problems. >>>
The Sabbath forever?
Exodus 12:14>>
“‘This day will serve as a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to Jehovah throughout your generations. As a lasting statute, you should celebrate it." (NWT 2013)
But Christians are NOT under the Sabbath!
It didn't make sense. Neither did Exodus 20:11>>
"For in six days Jehovah made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and he began to rest on the seventh day. That is why Jehovah blessed the Sabbath day and made it sacred." (NWT 2013)
But God made the world in stages not in six literal days! Or so I thought.
Since Jews were entrusted with the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) I decided to check a Jewish source BUT not a conservative one. Romans 2: 17-20>>
"If, now, you are a Jew in name and rely on law and take pride in God, and you know his will and approve of things that are excellent because you are instructed out of the Law, and you are convinced that you are a guide of the blind, a light for those in darkness, a corrector of the unreasonable ones, a teacher of young children, and having the framework of
I picked up the book "How to Read the Bible" by James Kugel.
I read the first few chapters. My faith died in minutes. He showed the Epic of Gilgemesh had WORD PER WORD the same as Genesis for the flood account.
The worst were verses like Genesis 12:6, 14:14, 34:7 and 36:31 that show Genesis was written after the kings of Judah. If this was so.... creation was wrong! This was not something to take lightly. Jesus quoated Genesis alot including this account. So either Jesus was wrong (meaning he was not the son of God) or this was written after Jesus (if he existed) and they were wrong!
Ths was shocking! That night I made a choice. I WANTED to believe the Jehovah's Witness world-view. BUT the facts lined up horribly to the other side. The target had to be evolution. If there was proof OUTSIDE FOSSSILS that evolution was true I would accept it. Not before!
After Chromosome #2 was found and ERV's lining up like a roadmap that was it! Thus started in March 2010 a terrible stage in my life.
I knew Jehovah (Yahweh)was a god like others in the past. I knew I would die and never see life again. I was terrified!
After many months I stared to study. Archeology. I found out the word- Goshen wasn't even around until 672BCE! Filthy Liars! But what to do?
After I married in March 2012 as I waited for my wife's paperwork for immigration to go through I started the YouTube Channel: HowTheBibleWasMade and over a year I worked examining the texts of the bible. Amazingly I gained so much respect for the book as a literary work it digusted me how people use it as religion.
In April 2013 my wife arrived in Canada and I had little time to work or to reveal how I felt however I kept up my research into history and science. As such the book you are reading. It was started June 2014. I am NOT claiming my findings or views are COMPLETE! This needs to be said! I am not able to uncover future archeology or read Greek like Bart Ehrman etc. But I can compile ancient puzzles. That is the texts of the bible. An ancient puzzle. It stands alone as a world literary work However it needs to be taught as history, literture and poetry and NOT as religion!
Thank you.
* The material studied at Kingdom Halls of Jehovah's Witnesses is 90% commentary.